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armies　of　Illyricum。　At　the　same　time　the　other　legions；　influenced　by



the　contagion　of　example；　and　by　their　dislike　of　the　German　troops；



were　meditating　war。　Vitellius　detained　Suetonius　Paullinus　and



Licinus　Proculus　in　all　the　wretchedness　of　an　odious　imprisonment；



when　they　were　heard；　they　resorted　to　a　defence；　necessary　rather



than　honourable。　They　actually　claimed　the　merit　of　having　been



traitors；　attributing　to　their　own　dishonest　counsels　the　long　march



before　the　battle；　the　fatigue　of　Otho's　troops；　the　entanglement　of



the　line　with　the　baggage…wagons；　and　many　circumstances　which　were



really　accidental。　Vitellius　gave　them　credit　for　perfidy；　and



acquitted　them　of　the　crime　of　loyalty。　Salvius　Titianus；　the



brother　of　Otho；　was　never　in　any　peril；　for　his　brotherly　affection



and　his　apathetic　character　screened　him　from　danger。　Marius　Celsus



had　his　consulship　confirmed　to　him。　It　was　commonly　believed；



however；　and　was　afterwards　made　a　matter　of　accusation　in　the



Senate　against　Caecilius　Simplex；　that　he　had　sought　to　purchase



this　honour；　and　with　it　the　destruction　of　Celsus。　Vitellius　refused；



and　afterwards　bestowed　on　Simplex　a　consulship　that　had　not　to　be



bought　with　crime　or　with　money。　Trachalus　was　protected　against　his



accusers　by　Galeria　the　wife　of　Vitellius。



　　Amid　the　adventures　of　these　illustrious　men；　one　is　ashamed　to



relate　how　a　certain　Mariccus；　a　Boian　of　the　lowest　origin；



pretending　to　divine　inspiration；　ventured　to　thrust　himself　into



fortune's　game；　and　to　challenge　the　arms　of　Rome。　Calling　himself　the



champion　of　Gaul；　and　a　God　（for　he　had　assumed　this　title）；　he　had



now　collected　8000　men；　and　was　taking　possession　of　the



neighbouring　villages　of　the　Aedui；　when　that　most　formidable　state



attacked　him　with　a　picked　force　of　its　native　youth；　to　which



Vitellius　attached　some　cohorts；　and　dispersed　the　crowd　of



fanatics。　Mariccus　was　captured　in　the　engagement；　and　was　soon



after　exposed　to　wild　beasts；　but　not　having　been　torn　by　them　was



believed　by　the　senseless　multitude　to　be　invulnerable；　till　he　was



put　to　death　in　the　presence　of　Vitellius。



　　No　further　severities　were　exercised　on　the　persons　of　the



opposite　faction；　or　with　property　in　any　case；　the　wills　of　those　who



had　fallen　fighting　for　Otho　were　held　to　be　valid；　and　with　those　who



died　intestate；　the　law　was　carried　out。　Assuredly；　could　Vitellius



have　bridled　his　luxurious　tastes；　no　one　need　have　dreaded　his



rapacity。　He　had　a　scandalous　and　insatiable　passion　for　feasts；　the



provocatives　of　gluttony　were　conveyed　to　him　from　the　capital　and



from　Italy；　till　the　roads　from　both　seas　resounded　with　traffic；



the　leading　men　of　the　various　states　were　ruined　by　having　to　furnish



his　entertainments；　and　the　states　themselves　reduced　to　beggary；



the　soldiers　fast　degenerated　from　their　old　activity　and　valour；



through　habitual　indulgence　and　contempt　of　their　leader。　He　sent　on



before　him　to　the　capital　an　edict；　by　which　he　postponed　his



acceptance　of　the　title　of　Augustus　and　refused　that　of　Caesar；　though



he　relinquished　nothing　of　his　actual　power。　The　astrologers　were



banished　from　Italy。　The　Roman　Knights　were　forbidden；　under　severe



penalties；　to　degrade　themselves　by　appearing　in　public



entertainments；　or　in　the　arena。　Former　Emperors　had　encouraged　the



practice　by　bribes；　or　more　frequently　enforced　it　by　compulsion；



and　many　of　the　towns　and　colonies　had　vied　with　each　other　in



attracting　by　large　pay　the　most　profligate　of　the　youth。



　　Vitellius；　however；　when　his　brother　joined　him；　and　when　those



who　are　skilled　in　the　arts　of　despotism　began　to　creep　into　his



confidence；　grew　more　arrogant　and　cruel。　He　ordered　the　execution



of　Dolabella；　whose　banishment　by　Otho　to　the　Colonia　Aquinas　I　have



before　mentioned。　Dolabella；　on　hearing　of　the　death　of　Otho；　had



entered　the　capital。　Plancius　Varus；　who　had　filled　the　office　of



praetor；　and　had　been　one　of　Dolabella's　intimate　friends；　founded



on　this　a　charge；　which　he　laid　before　Flavius　Sabinus；　prefect　of　the



city；　implying　that　Dolabella　had　escaped　from　custody；　and　had



offered　to　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　vanquished　party；　and　he



also　alleged　that　the　cohort　stationed　at　Ostia　had　been　tampered



with。　Of　these　grave　accusations　he　brought　no　proof　whatever；　and



then　repenting；　sought；　when　the　crime　had　been　consummated；　a



pardon　which　could　be　of　no　avail。　Flavius　Sabinus　hesitating　to　act



in　a　matter　of　such　importance；　Triaria；　the　wife　of　Lucius　Vitellius；



with　unfeminine　ferocity；　warned　him　not　to　seek　a　reputation　for



clemency　by　imperilling　the　Emperor。　Sabinus　was　naturally　of　a　mild



disposition；　but　under　the　pressure　of　fear　was　easily　swayed；　here；



the　danger　of　another　made　him　tremble　for　himself；　and；　lest　he　might



seem　to　have　helped　the　accused；　he　precipitated　his　fall。



　　Upon　this；　Vitellius；　who；　besides　fearing　Dolabella；　hated　him；



because　he　had　married　Petronia；　his　former　wife；　summoned　him　by



letter；　and　at　the　same　time　gave　orders　that；　without　passing　along



the　much　frequented　thoroughfare　of　the　Flaminian　road；　he　should　turn



aside　to　Interamna；　and　there　be　put　to　death。　This　seemed　too　tedious



to　the　executioner；　who　in　a　road…side　tavern　struck　down　his



prisoner；　and　cut　his　throat。　The　act　brought　great　odium　upon　the　new



reign；　and　was　noted　as　the　first　indication　of　its　character。



Triaria's　recklessness　was　rendered　more　intolerable　by　an　immediate



contrast　with　the　exemplary　virtue　of　Galeria；　the　Emperor's　wife；　who



took　no　part　in　these　horrors；　and　with　Sextilia；　the　mother　of　the



two　Vitellii；　a　woman　equally　blameless；　and　of　the　old　type　of



character。　She　indeed　is　said　to　have　exclaimed　on　receiving　the　first



letter　from　her　son；　〃I　am　the　mother；　not　of　Germanicus；　but　of



Vitellius。〃　And　in　after　days　no　seductions　of　fortune；　no　flattery



from　the　State；　could　move　her　to　exultation；　it　was　only　the



misfortunes　of　her　family　that　she　felt。



　　M。　Cluvius　Rufus；　who　had　left　his　government　in　Spain；　came　up　with



Vitellius　after　his　departure　from　Lugdunum。　He　wore　a　look　of　joy　and



congratulation；　but　he　was　anxious　at　heart；　for　he　knew　that　he　was



the　object　of　accusations。　Hilarius；　the　Emperor's　freedman；　had



indeed　brought　this　charge　against　him；　that　on　hearing　of　the　contest



for　the　throne　between　Vitellius　and　Otho；　he　had　made　an　attempt　to



secure　power　for　himself；　and　to　obtain　possession　of　Spain；　and



that　with　this　view　he　had　not　headed　his　passports　with　the　name　of



any　Emperor。　Some　extracts　from　the　speeches　of　Rufus　he　represented



as　insulting　to　Vitellius；　and　intended　to　win　popularity　for　himself。



So　strong；　however；　was　the　influence　of　Cluvius；　that　Vitellius



actually　ordered　the　freedman　to　be　punished。　Cluvius　was　attached



to　the　Emperor's　retinue；　Spain　however　was　not　taken　from　him；　he



still　governed　the　province　though　not　resident；　as　L。　Arruntius　had



done　before　him；　whom　Tiberius　Caesar　detained　at　home；　because　he



feared　him；　it　was　not　from　any　apprehension　that　Vitellius　kept



Cluvius　with　him。　The　same　compliment　was　not　paid　to　Trebellius



Maximus。　He　had　fled　from　Britain　because　of　the　exasperation　of　the



soldiery。　Vettius　Bolanus；　who　was　then　accompanying　the　Emperor；



was　sent　to　succeed　him。



　　Vitellius　was　troubled　by　the　spirit　of　the　vanquished　legions；



which　was　anything　but　broken。　Scattered　through　all　parts　of　Italy；



and　mingled　with　the　conquerors；　they　spoke　the　language　of　enemies。



The　soldiers　of　the　14th　legion　were　peculiarly　furious。　They　said



that　they　had　not　been　vanquished；　that　at　the　battle　of　Bedriacum



only　the　veterans　had　been　beaten；　and　that　the　strength　of　the　legion



had　been　absent。　It　was　resolved　that　these　troops　should　be　sent　back



to　Britain；　from　which　province　Nero　had　summoned　them；　and　that　the



Batavian　cohorts　should　in　the　meantime　be　quartered　with　them；



because　there　was　an　old　feud　between　them　and　the　14th。　In　the



presence　of　such　animosities　between　these　armed　masses；　harmony　did



not　last　long。　At　Augusta　of　the　Taurini　it　happened　that　a　Batavian



soldier　fiercely　charged　some　artisan　with　having　cheated　him；　and



that　a　soldier　of　the　legion　took　the　part　of　his　host。　Each　man's



comrades　gathered　round　him；　from　words　they　came　to　blows；　and　a



fierce　battle　would　have　broken　out；　had　not　two　Praetorian　cohorts



taken　the　side　of　the　14th；　and　given　confidence　to　them；　while　they



intimidated　the　Batavians。　Vitellius　then　ordered　that　these　latter



troops　should　be　attached　to　his　own　force；　in　consideration　of



their　loyalty；　and　that　the　legion　should　pass　over　the　Graian　Alps；



and　then　take　that　line　of　road；　by　which　they　would　avoid　passing



Vienna；　for　the　inhabitants　of　that　place　were　also　suspected。　On



the　night　of　the　departure　of　the　legion；　a　part　of　the　Colonia



Taurina　was　destroyed　by　the　fires　which　were　left　in　every　direction。



This　loss；　like　many　of　the　evils　of　war；　was　forgotten　in　the　greater



disasters　which　happened　to　other　cities。　When　the　14th　had　made　the



descent　on　the　other　side　of　the　Alps；　the　most　mutinous　among　them



were　for　carrying　the　standards　to　Vienna。　They　were　checked；　however；



by　the　united　efforts　of　the　better　disposed；　and　the　legion　was



transported　into　Britain。



　　Vitellius　found　his　next　cause　of　apprehension　in　the　Praetorian



cohorts。　They　were　first　divided；　and　then　ordered；　though　with　the



gratifying　compliment　of　an　honourable　discharge；　to　give　up　their



arms　to　their　tribunes。　But　as　the　arms　Vespasian　gathered　strength；



they　returned　to　their　old　service；　and　constituted　the　m